Nisei Week Festival/Little Tokyo/Related

Super No. 1 wrote:

I like trying to find myself in other people's videos. I walk across the screen at the 5:40 mark. :woot:

Is that you with the sunglasses on your head? At the same time that cute blonde got in the scene. I was not really aware of her as I was concentrating on framing the cosplayers. But I enjoy her now. :naughty:

I took this earlier at the JACC but felt it fit in nicely just before the cosplayers in the parade.

Here's a clip of me from last year.
So if you see me at the Bon Odori on Sunday give me a head's up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lgo7r0sYsic

Most likely I'll be wearing this Happi jacket:
http://www.veoh.com/browse/videos/category/family/watch/v16212981jgdNjCZz#

Enna wrote:

Thanks Ralph! That was my favorite video of the parade so far. I love the music, the dancing and those cute doggies. :)

Enna, those dogs are Akitas. Do you know the story of Hachiko? Like most things Japanese it's sad and sentimental, only this time, it's true. Here's a link to Wiki if you're not familiar with it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachiko[/list:u]

gaijinmark wrote: Enna, those dogs are Akitas. Do you know the story of Hachiko? Like most things Japanese it's sad and sentimental, only this time, it's true. Here's a link to Wiki if you're not familiar with it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachiko[/list:u]

Thanks gaijinmark. Akitas are beautiful dogs! Yes I know the story of Hachiko and his statue in Japan. So touching! It just proves that pure love never dies.

It was so nice to see the Akitas in the Nisei Festival parade. :)

ralphm1999 wrote:Most likely I'll be wearing this Happi jacket:

Nice Happi coat ralph! :woot:

Here's the next clip. This was at about 6:50PM. The light was getting very dark. I had to boost the gain quite a bit and so the depth of field and sharpness are degrading:

http://ralphmoratz.com/misc/NFP07.html

ralphm1999 wrote:Here we go. This is the LAPD motorcycle event that traditionally opens the Nisei Festival parade:

http://ralphmoratz.com/misc/NFP02.html

This is very short of when the motorcycle crashed. I will only have this up for a few days. I don't want to embarass LAPD.

http://ralphmoratz.com/misc/NFP02TEMP.html

Why does the LAPD open the parade? :headscratch:

ralphm1999 wrote:Second, the first group of dancers:

http://ralphmoratz.com/misc/NFP04.html

Great clip! I LUFF the dancing! And that lil' girl was uber kawaii!

ralphm1999 wrote:This one has the cosplayers:

http://ralphmoratz.com/misc/NFP06.html

Wow, the cosplayers dominated. :beaten:

Super No. 1 wrote:

I like trying to find myself in other people's videos. I walk across the screen at the 5:40 mark. :woot:

That dude in the black shirt? So random! :beaten:

ralphm1999 wrote:Here's the next clip. This was at about 6:50PM. The light was getting very dark. I had to boost the gain quite a bit and so the depth of field and sharpness are degrading:

http://ralphmoratz.com/misc/NFP07.html

Wow, lots of great stuff in this clip!

Thanks so much for sharing these, Ralph! I really felt like I was there myself! :hug:

Looks like I'll be heading out there tomorrow... But my friend can't hang out there late enough to catch the gyoza eating contest... :(

The last clip with just a hint of the Queen at the end in profile. She went by too fast for me to catch her and it was hard to frame her in the dark.

http://ralphmoratz.com/misc/NFP08.html

Wynter wrote:

Why does the LAPD open the parade?

Now that you mention it, it is strange. I think 4 years ago, it began with the mayor followed by the police. I suppose he's too busy now (with his women) to bother with the parade.. :crazy:

ralphm1999 wrote:The last clip with just a hint of the Queen at the end in profile. She went by too fast for me to catch her and it was hard to frame her in the dark.

http://ralphmoratz.com/misc/NFP08.html

Grand. :applaud: Probably my favourite clip. I especially liked the dance at 5:30, though that camera guy kept getting in the way. So annoying!

Wynter wrote:

Grand. :applaud: Probably my favourite clip. I especially liked the dance at 5:30, though that camera guy kept getting in the way. So annoying!

The camera guys were driving me crazy... for a while I felt as if we were taking pictures of each other. :cursing:

ralphm1999 wrote:

The camera guys were driving me crazy... for a while I felt as if we were taking pictures of each other. :cursing:

I would have felt so self-conscious if I was performing. The camera men were right in the performers faces.

ralphm1999 wrote:

Is that you with the sunglasses on your head? At the same time that cute blonde got in the scene. I was not really aware of her as I was concentrating on framing the cosplayers. But I enjoy her now. :naughty:

Yeah, that's me. The blonde is a friend of mine too. A few of my friends made it into that few seconds of the video.

Jeez, it's overcast right now... Wonder if it'll be this way in Little Tokyo. :headscratch:

Can't recall it ever being this way during Nisei Week.

bmwracer wrote:Jeez, it's overcast right now... Wonder if it'll be this way in Little Tokyo. :headscratch:

Can't recall it ever being this way during Nisei Week.

Teh forecast for tomorrow is not any better. Hope this wont affect the Bon Odori. :grumble:

Just got back... My friend brought his entire family along: wife, three kids.

Warm, sunny, and muggy in Little Tokyo.

Not a whole lotta events going on today other than the gyoza eating contest... Some of the businesses that were there the last time I was there (2007) are gone... :sweat:

A couple of pics... These were outside the JACC building.

[image] [image]

Here's a sneek peak of my great granddaughter watching Zendeko taiko group: Lots more later this week including me dancing - sort of with GGD throwing me off.

http://ralphmoratz.com/misc/ryan01.html

Here it is. The big dance. lol.

After practicing for one year starting on the left foot, they threw me a curve and started on the right foot... see how I'm stumbling... after a while though I was able to switch my thinking from left to right. Then Ryan comes in and throws completely off... very funny.

http://ralphmoratz.com/misc/bon01.html

ralphm1999 wrote:Here's a sneek peak of my great granddaughter watching Zendeko taiko group: Lots more later this week including me dancing - sort of with GGD throwing me off.

http://ralphmoratz.com/misc/ryan01.html

So adorable! Looks like she inherited her great-grandfather's taste for drums. :applaud:

ralphm1999 wrote:Here it is. The big dance. lol.

After practicing for one year starting on the left foot, they threw me a curve and started on the right foot... see how I'm stumbling... after a while though I was able to switch my thinking from left to right. Then Ryan comes in and throws completely off... very funny.

http://ralphmoratz.com/misc/bon01.html

Sugoi! You were pretty good! And you look so happy when you're dancing! :muack:

Wynter wrote:

Sugoi! You were pretty good! And you look so happy when you're dancing! :muack:

Thanks. Now that I'm almost able to dance all the steps in at least one dance, I feel like I'm part of the Japanese culture for the duration of the dance.... :woot: